An Element Missing
by Purplish
Summary: Hokage loses a member, but the deceased is given a choice to go and watch over a fellow teammate who's life is seriously in danger. ToFuu
1. Unusual Weather

> Mikagami Tokiya was polishing his beloved _Ensui_ when the phone rang, for the second time in three days. In which reminding him to get rid of it completely, or to change the number and not tell the pests.
> 
> Morikawa Ganko, who he had been looking after for the past eight hours, answered the call. The blasted toy fox on her shoulder, mimicking every word she was saying.
> 
> Thinking nothing of the call, he resumed his task. He looked out of the window when he heard the soft drizzle of rain against the window. Dark clouds hovered in sky, as slowly, the rain grew harder and the lightning flashed more frequently.
> 
> "That was Yanagi; she said that she would be coming over later to pick us up."
> 
> He nodded at her before pausing and asking when her dear surrogate sister was going to pick her up.
> 
> "Not that I mind you or anything," he added quickly when he saw the hurt look on the child's face.
> 
> "I don't know really, she said that she wouldn't be back so soon."
> 
> Tokiya gazed at Ganko, feeling something was not right, and that she was not revealing something.
> 
> Ganko looked away from his gaze, fiddling with the hem of her dress, causing his suspicion to amplify.
> 
> "What did she have to do?" he questioned, peering at her face intently for clues.
> 
> Her blue orbs sparked with fear and worry as she answered.
> 
> "A chore or somewhat."
> 
> "What chore?"
> 
> "Just a chore."
> 
> He put down Ensui gently on the table.
> 
> "What are you not telling me?"
> 
> She look frightened, devastated even.
> 
> "Leave her alone."
> 
> The fox; the sickening, irritating fox said. A withering glare shut him up however.
> 
> "Ganko, tell me. I won't be angry."
> 
> "I promised. I can't tell."
> 
> He felt a twinge of annoyance at her answer. He just wanted to know where Fuuko had gone. What is _that _hard to answer?
> 
> He glared at her, seeing her cowering.
> 
> "Is it an important matter?"
> 
> "Yes."
> 
> "A dangerous one?"
> 
> No response, her head bowed eyes downcast.
> 
> "It could be a matter of life and death."
> 
> His eyebrow twitched up.
> 
> _Life or death?_
> 
> "What did she do?"
> 
> Ganko seemed to be struggling with an inner-war.
> 
> "Fight."
> 
> Silence.
> 
> "She's going to fight Raiha. Settle everything. She's been practicing, for the past two months. She's ready. I've seen her battle. She can beat him."
> 
> Thunder roared loudly as Tokiya stood up.
> 
> "Are you sure she's ready Ganko? Are you absolutely sure?"
> 
> Ganko's hands stopped playing with the hem. They grew still as her body tensed.
> 
> "She said she was ready, and I--"
> 
> "Believe her?"
> 
> Ganko looked at him.
> 
> "I don't know."
> 
> Tokiya grabbed his _Ensui_, keys and jacket.
> 
> "Let's go. Do you know where they were supposed to meet?"
> 
> Ganko stared at him, mouth slightly open.
> 
> "Yes, but she said that she didn't want anyone disturbing the fight."
> 
> "Have you seen the weather outside Ganko? It's unnatural. It's too sudden, too harsh. Something's wrong."
> 
> He proceeded out of the door, certain that Ganko would be following. He walked towards the car and waited inside for her. Only to find the good-for-nothing fox had met up with him instead.
> 
> The toy, seemed to be hyper-ventilating, and Tokiya remained indifferent, hopeful that maybe the fox would quit itself out.
> 
> "Ganko- Kaoru- wound- Raiha- wound- cry- wound-"
> 
> Tokiya, feeling that he had heard enough, followed the stumbling fox, and found Ganko crying silently by the phone.
> 
> He stared at her, feeling very awkward at not knowing what to do. Finally he settled on asking her what was wrong.
> 
> "Fuu- Fuuko dead. He found her—dying. She- she" and her words grew indefinable as she choked on the suppressed sob.
> 
> He gathered her in his arms, not knowing what to say, yet knowing exactly how she felt. He was unaware that the car's engine was still on, or that the door was wide open, or that the phone was ringing. All he knew was that she was dead. And somehow, he couldn't help feeling that he had let down another person.


	2. Discovery

            Fuuko opened her eyes, only to be blinded by a bright white light. She opened her eyes again. After getting used to the light, she looked around to find herself in a huge room. The room was white. Just like everything thing else in it. Then she noticed one more person at the far end of the room. The person looked familiar. Awfully familiar. Fuuko squinted. She knew that face.

"Yanagi?" she yelled, before running towards _Yanagi._

_Yanagi_ looked at her, a beautiful smile on her face. "No, I'm not Yanagi."

Fuuko stared at the Yanagi look-alike, thinking to herself. If this wasn't Yanagi...then who could she be...? Then it hit her.

"Mifuyu?"

Mifuyu smiled and nodded her head.

"But...that can't be! I mean-no offence-but you're, well, dead. So-how can I be seeing you right in front of me-unless-unless-oh no, don't tell me I'm-I'm dead?" Fuuko croaked out the last few words.

Mifuyu frowned at her words.

"Don't you remember?"

Fuuko looked at her confused. "Remember what?"

"How you left the living world?"

Fuuko's mind seemed to be incredibly slow in absorbing the words spoken. How could she be dead...? It was only that morning when she had sent Ganko to school, only last night where she had hung out with the rest of her friends, only a few hours ago where she had battled Raiha...._The battle_!

Mifuyu noticed that Fuuko had finally recalled.

Fuuko stood there, mouth slightly opened as in her mind, she saw herself battling Raiha.

Raijin piercing into Raiha's neck- taking over him- .she avoiding the lightning- and finally defeating Raijin- in the process, killing Raiha.

She saw herself crying over Raiha, then struggling to get to Recca's before she could pass out. She saw herself at Recca's house; at death's door, he saw her loved ones crying over her, her quiet funeral.

The same scenes kept on replaying in her head, over and over again, unmerciful to let her forget. She finally escaped from it when Mifuyu spoke again.

"Fuuko? You okay? I know it's kind of tough, but you got to get over it..."

Fuuko gazed wearily at Mifuyu. "How long has it been...since I died?"

"4 months."

Fuuko stared at Mifuyu; eyes wide open in shock and mouth hanging open.

"Yeah...it has been quite long."

Fuuko stood there, letting her brain absorb everything that had happened to her. It all seemed unbelievable. Too weird. Finding out that she's dead, then meeting Tokiya's dead sister in....wait a minute-where was she???

As if reading her mind, "You're in heaven," Mifuyu informed her.

Fuuko would have burst out laughing if the situation wasn't so serious. To think that of all people, SHE would end up in heaven!

"Fuuko..."

"Yeah?"

"Well, the reason why you are here, with me is that the Higher Authority is offering you a proposal. You can go back down to the world of the living, as a guardian angel."

Fuuko gaped at Mifuyu. She being in Heaven was comical, but she being an angel? It was downright hilarious! "Are you sure...they want me...?"

Mifuyu smiled at her doubt. "Yes. You seem to be the best choice for this job. In fact, the person you have to watch over is close to you. He seems to be in quite a difficult situation. Someone is currently after him. Someone that he would not to be able to protect himself against...someone who even the Hokage can't beat. But they can, if you are there with them. So would you please help them?"

"Sure, but how can I be the one to help them?"

"You are special Fuuko. Madougus also have spirits. These spirits, the good ones, choose only the pure of heart and soul to be their masters. There are plenty of qualities needed before they fully accept you as their rightful master. For Fuujin to pick you, you must be very extraordinary Fuuko Kirisawa. We are sure that you can help them. Don't you wonder why you ended up in Heaven? Because of the goodness you possess."

Fuuko's blushed meekly. She had never before been praised so highly.

"I will be delighted to accept the mission. But who do I have to help them win against?"

"I'm sorry Fuuko, but I can't tell you that. You have to find that out by yourself."

Fuuko pouted at her response. "Then who am I suppose to help?"

Mifuyu smiled slyly. "You will find out soon enough...But for now, rest. You will leave for the living world in a few hours. Why don't you rest here first and I'll come to get you when it's time to leave."

The room magically produced a big comfy bed and some sources of entertainment. Fuuko gawked at the transformed room.

Mifuyu saw her and smirked slightly. "Heaven's not all ancient you know. See you later." She left. Well actually, she shimmered away.

Wonder whether I can do that...Fuuko wondered to herself. She jumped onto her bed and turned on her big screen TV. "I can get used to this place...." Fuuko murmured to herself as she felt herself entering dreamland.

Fuuko was dreaming that she was in the warm embrace of a certain tall, handsome man, when she felt someone tapping her lightly, returning her back to the real world....no...Heaven.

Fuuko raised her head groggily to find Mifuyu trying to control her giggles. "I see you've been dreaming about my brother."

Fuuko turned a bright magenta. "You can see my dreams too?!"

"Yes, it's a special ability of angels. You have special abilities since you've become one too. You will find them all out by yourself later on. Now follow me, you have to go," Mifuyu informed her.

Fuuko got up and followed Mifuyu till they reached a big golden gate. "This separates Heaven from the world of the living. The moment you step out, you will be automatically be transported to where you are supposed to be. Now remember, you cannot contact me when you reach the world of the living, but I can contact you. I'll be there if you need help. And also you would need a change in clothes."

Fuuko's jean shorts and green tank top changed into a sleeveless dress that reached her knees. And of course like everything else, it was white.

Before she could protest about how she wanted to wear her old clothes and not a dress, Fuuko found herself being pushed gently forward. Before being transported, she turned around to see Mifuyu giving her a smile of encouragement.

"Fuuko, please save my brother..." Mifuyu whispered as the purple-haired girl faded away.


	3. Angel Intuition

Fuuko found herself in a room. A very familiar room. Recca's room. Looking around, she noticed that her friend had become very organized. She could not find any spiked stars sticking out of the walls, no magazines and clothes on the floor, nor no scorch marks in the room.

As her gaze lingered around the room, she noticed that she was not alone in the room. There were two other people. A Mohawk mongoloid and a very handsome ice-block.

"God, I'm not supposed to be watching over Domon am I!" Fuuko muttered under her breath. Observing closely, she noticed that her friend, an obsessed one at that, had changed. He seemed to have improved his clothing style. '_Finally,_' Fuuko thought to herself. He seemed to have gained more muscles too. His nose ring and outrageous hairstyle still there though.

As she moved her inspection to the iceman, she felt a little tingle in her heart and in her soul. He was definitely her assignment. Just call it angel intuition. The tingle in her heart was an entire different intuition though.

Just as she stopped her daydreaming, she realized that the two boys were walking towards her. '_They can see me!_' Fuuko thought, astonished. "I can't let them see me in a dress!" Fuuko mumbled, frantically looking around for a sweater or something to cover herself up. They were approaching closer and closer. Fuuko gulped nervously, thinking of ways to greet them. Then suddenly, she felt a burning sensation as they walked through her.

"What in the---" she yelped. They walked through her! **Right through her!** She gaped at them.

'_Am I intangible?_'

Checking herself, she found herself to be very solid indeed. As she continued thinking, she realized that she was alone. Jogging out of the room and down the familiar steps, she found herself in Recca's living room.

The Hokage was there. In addition, to her astonishment so was the Uruha. The moment she entered the room, she noticed that Kagerou looked up from the script that she reading. She looked around the room, as if trying to find something. Then she turned her head towards Fuuko's direction and looked straight into Fuuko's eyes.

Fuuko gave out a small gasp. Of course! Kagerou could see her; well actually sense her since she had the _sight_!

Recca noticing his mother's abrupt cease in her work, got worried.

"Okaa-san, is something wrong?"

Kagerou broke out into a smile.

"No of course not Recca, it's just that, someone has decided to grace us with her presence."

Then, she continued with her work, leaving everyone else in the room (except for Fuuko), confused about what she had just said. Deciding to make herself comfortable, Fuuko sat herself behind Ganko. She felt the incredible urge to hold Ganko in her arms, but thought better of it incase Ganko could feel her doing so, and freaked out.

Fuuko looked around seeing the people who she once hung out and had fun with, looking seriously grim. She looked at every one of them, remembering memories of the past. Recca, Domon, Ganko, Yanagi, Kaoru, Kagerou, Joker, Neon, Kurei and Tokiya.

Fuuko looked at him for slightly longer than the rest. She had always admired him. Ever since the mirror house incident. The closer she got to him, the more her admiration turned into love. Yet, she never did confess her love since she knew that she wasn't good enough for him. '_What he needs is a pretty, kind and gentle girl like Yanagi_,' she had constantly told herself that, and sooner or later, she had tried to push back her feeling towards him and acted indifferently.

She remembered the time where she had set him on a date with a friend of hers, and how he returned with a different gleam in his eyes. A happy one. Something she had never seen before. It hurt her, but she acted the same. In the end, she almost completely blocked her feelings for him off, except for a few times where her mind would just innocently pop up some dreams...

Her attention snapped back to focus when she realized that Recca had slammed the table with his fist. Fuuko scolded herself for not paying attention before listening carefully to the heated conversation. Recca was currently yelling.

"What do you mean that we can't fight back!" he yelled to his mother. Kagerou looked at him wearily and sympathetically before answering.

"It's no use. Your madougus or flames will not affect him in anyway."

"Then we can use normal combat!"

"It will not be effective. He has the powers of darkness that are strong and getting stronger day by day. Your combat skills, no matter how good they are, are no use!"

"Then we'll just fight him all together!"

"Recca! It is no use! You cannot fight against something that is intangible!"

"Then you don't expect me to just give it and Yanagi up, do you?"

"Of course not Recca. But you can't just run headlong into a fight you can't win"

"Well, if I don't start the fight, he will! The letter in front of you, tells it all! So it's all the same!"

With his final retort, Recca banged his fist again and stormed out of the room. Kagerou sighed and looked down onto the floor. Yanagi ran after her ninja. The rest of the group slowly left. Fuuko wanted to follow them out, but she wanted more to find out what was going on. And in order to do that, she needed to talk to the one who could sense her. Kagerou.

Fuuko tentatively took a small step to the woman. One small step after another. She didn't really want to bother the sad woman, but her curiosity to find out about everything was greater. All of a sudden, Kagerou looked up. Sapphire orbs met dark ones. Kagerou gave her a small smile before opening her mouth to speak.

"Fuuko, nice to see you again. How has it been?"

"Well except from the shock of finding out I was dead, everything has been just fine."

Kagerou looked fondly at her before continuing the conversation.

"So, I suppose there is a reason for why you are back?"

"Yes, amazingly, I turned up in heaven---"

"What's so astonishing about you turning up in heaven? You should know pure spirits get into heaven automatically. Since you are the master of Fuu----"

"Yes, yes, I know. I had the same _sermon _from Mifuyu."

"Mifuyu? Isn't that Tokiya's sister?"

"Somehow she seems to be my boss."

"I see. I presume you are also an angel now?"

"Yeah. A guardian angel. I'm here to protect you guys and watch over someone."

"Oh. And who is that someone?"

"Mikagami Tokiya."

"Well, it's nice to see you again. You had everyone grieving over you for months, young lady."

"I'm sorry." Fuuko said, a small smile dancing on her lips.

She looked at Kagerou with an expression of extreme solemnity, eyeing her carefully; Fuuko once again opened her mouth to speak.

"What's going on?"


	4. Storm God

> "A month after you left, we received a letter. Asking for Yanagi and Fuujin. Of course, our answer was no, and for a while after that it was peaceful. Then, _he_started to send out his men."
> 
> "Who's _he_?" Fuuko interrupted.
> 
> "We do not know, neither does the letter states, but what ever few glimpses I manage to get from Eikai reveals a tall man, but he's always covered by the shadows."
> 
> "Few? What do you mean by _few_?"
> 
> "There's something preventing me from finding out who he is. I haven't managed to get more than one glimpse at a time."
> 
> "Are his men tough?"
> 
> "Yes, very. There were many times where they were all terribly injured."
> 
> "Why do they want the Fuujin?"
> 
> Kagerou looked uncomfortable as she shifted in her position.
> 
> "Raijin, and Fuujin, they're similar madougus. They're linked in a way."
> 
> "I already know that."
> 
> "Yes, but there is more to it. **When the two oppose each other and both falls, a new, superior madougu will rise.**"
> 
> Silence filled the room. Uncomfortable, unwanted silence.
> 
> "What madougu?" Fuuko finally croaked out.
> 
> "It can raise storms. Dozens of terrible, destructive storms at a time. It controls the weather. It summons the weather elements. The Bofujin."
> 
> "It's a very silly name for a madougu isn't it?" she laughed.
> 
> "It's no laughing matter! The destruction it can cause; Japan can be gone within days if that madougu is used!"
> 
> "I understand. What does this... Bofujin have to do with Fuujin, and Raijin?"
> 
> "They have to be fused together."
> 
> "How can they do that?"
> 
> "With a natural power. Like Recca, Kurei and Yanagi."
> 
> "So that's why they want Yanagi?"
> 
> "Yes, as she is the easiest to get to. She just has to touch the two and Bofujin will form."
> 
> "Why don't you destroy Fuujin then? And Raijin?"
> 
> "They have Raijin. We can't destroy it. As both you, and Raiha, have been defeated, you have both completed the first part of the prophecy. Now both Fuujin and Raijin remain as they are, or Bofujin is created. Nothing else can interfere with that."
> 
> Silence domineered again in the room. Questions and answers becoming harder to ask and response.
> 
> Fuuko stared at the cherry wood table. Gazing at every grain in the wood. If she had just won the fight...
> 
> "It's not your fault. It isn't anyone's fault."
> 
> "I shouldn't have jumped at the chance. I should have practiced more. I could have prevented all this."
> 
> Kagerou sympathized with the girl in front of her. She had felt that very same guilt before. The heart-wrenching, dismal guilt.
> 
> Kagerou reached out to place a comforting arm on her, but Fuuko stood up.
> 
> "I have to go now. I'll see you later Kagerou-san."
> 
> Fuuko walked as fast and inconspicuously as she could out of the room. The guilt was literally pounding her to the ground. It was all her fault! If she had just stopped the fight. If she had just postponed it a year later. So many _'If's_, yet none that she had followed. All her fault.
> 
> She stopped walking when she found herself in the backyard. Recca was there, Yanagi by his side, both talking quietly with Kurei and Neon . Kaoru was standing beside with Joker, expressionless, looking into some far-away space. Domon and Ganko were missing, and so was Mikagami.
> 
> A twinge of longing went through her as she wished that she too could have been with them. For them to see her, to know that she was with them.
> 
> Distant footsteps caught her attention as she turned and say Tokiya approaching; that was, before he stopped and turned to her direction. He remained there, staring at her, or through her.
> 
> _'What's with him?' _
> 
> Her wonderings stopped however, when a burning sensation passed through her again. She looked down to see what it was. An arrow. Or a glowing arrow, to be precise.


	5. Armour

I know, it's been a real _long_ time since I've updated. I thank you all for still reading my fic. I'll be updating most of my other fics, and will be continuing the stories once again. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all readers, and most importantly, to all those who took the time to review. Thank you so much! XD

By the way, this is based on the anime, as I've not finished the manga, and Reiran, is Ganko's doll (the one who looks like her mother).

* * *

The enemy was worse than she thought. There were barely ten of them, and yet Recca and the rest were struggling. 

They were not human. They possibly could not have been. They were massive figures, bigger than Domon. They wore no clothes, only armour which seemed to be part of their bodies. Their grey skin and armour contrasted greatly against the white walls of the garden.

Their faces were scarred and decomposing. Their bulging eyes continuously rolled around, their noses gone, leaving narrow holes. Their mouths were set in grim lines; with glimpses of black, rotten teeth to be seen when opened.

They were incredibly swift, and seemed to suffer from no pain, no matter how deep the wound was. Their blood was thick and tar-like. She had never seen anything so disgusting.

She felt sick as she watched one of those creatures fling Kaoru into the willow tree. They had immense strength, and after seeing them in action, she knew that they were obviously superior.

She moved forward, ready to spring into action. Her arm was already pulled backwards, ready to push her fist through the creature's ugly face. She briefly remembered that she was intangible, but it was too late to pull back.

She waited for the burning sensation, but was astounded when she felt her fist collide with something sticky and brittle. Her eyes widened at the sight of fallen teeth from the creature's mouth.

She gaped at her dirty fist, covered with the tar-like blood, and rotted flesh. The creature was still standing, looking non-affected, and she took the chance to strike it again. This time, her blow to its face made it stagger a step backwards, and she stared awestruck, as Tokiya promptly slashed its head off.

Her stomach clenched as she saw large, fat maggots crawl out from the decapitated head. She breathed deeply as she surveyed the scene. There were eight left, another creature having just been killed by Joker. Only Joker, Kurei, Recca, Tokiya, Domon and Neon were left.

The odds were uneven, unfairly so.

She tensed as Domon plunged head-first into one of the house's wall. The wall crumbled, revealing Kagerou, Yanagi and Ganko. She heard two more inhuman wails from behind her.

Kagerou and Reiran were now bravely shielding Yanagi and Ganko. Shielding them against the creature approaching them. Kagerou had a katana in her hands, ready for battle.

She made her way towards them, moving quickly as she reared her fist back again. She was aware of Kagerou's amazed expression as she punched the creature's skull in. For such massive things, they had such brittle bones. She made a face as she felt her hand hit something soft. She was surprised that the creatures possessed brains.

The creature howled. Reiran, controlled by Ganko, used her strings to slice its head off.

She was pleased. The rush of ecstasy she usually received from fighting was rushing back and she was eager to defeat more of them. She moved towards the nearest creature in sight, and kicked at its neck. Her face screwed up in pain as she collapsed. The neck was covered in armour. She had not noticed it there before. It was hard enough that her bone had been smashed.

She struggled to get up, and was stunned when she discovered that within seconds, the bone, the _crushed_ bone, had been mended. Grinning at her new-found power, she kicked the creature's forehead, and watched satisfactorily as Reiran once again sliced off the head.

She noted that the heads were sensitive areas, and that injuring the head meant that the neck was also particularly susceptible. There were only two left. Neon and Joker were missing. Kurei was evading the brutal attacks while Recca and Tokiya were slashing at their already weak creature.

Once again, she cuffed its head as Kurei took the opportunity of the sudden vanish of its neck armour to cut it off. There was another keening wail as the final one was struck down.

The garden was a mess. Their black blood covered the grass, and the maggots were crawling everywhere. All of a sudden, she felt tired and lethargic. She turned, proceeding to return back when she found herself face to face with a filthy Tokiya.

"Fuuko."

Her violet-blue eyes widened.


End file.
